Written Answers

Wednesday 28 June 2000

Scottish Executive

Enterprise

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was spent in providing the facilities, infrastructure and incentives to encourage Canon to locate in Glenrothes.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which public agencies made a financial contribution towards attracting Canon to Glenrothes and how much each agency contributed.

Henry McLeish: In October 1994 Canon was offered RSA of £530,000 which was paid in full.

  In February 1996 Canon was offered £3,000,000 which was reduced to £2,530,435 in January 1999 and a total of £1,500,000 was paid.

  Officials in the Monitoring department, Scottish Executive, are in touch with the company concerning RSA clawback.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the potential impact on the Scottish agricultural sector of the European Commission White Paper on Environmental Liability.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in the process of assessing the European Commission White Paper on Environmental Liability, including the potential impact on the agricultural sector.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has responded to the European Commission White Paper on Environmental Liability and, if so, whether its response accepted the principle of strict liability.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has not yet responded to the European Commission White Paper on Environmental Liability.

Environment

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in considering any response it has made to the European Commission White Paper on Environmental Liability, it sought or obtained a definition of the public interest groups who would be entitled to a remedy in civil proceedings under the White Paper and, if such a definition was obtained, whether it will make the definition publicly available.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has neither sought nor obtained a definition of the public interest groups who may be granted rights to act under the White Paper on Environmental Liability, as it is known that the Commission’s thinking on this matter is still emerging.

Finance

Mike Watson (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can give the allocation of end-year flexibility by department.

Mr Jack McConnell: I announced yesterday a total end-year flexibility allocation of £435 million. Table 1 shows end-year balances generated by vote.

  In discussion with my Cabinet colleagues we agreed that departments should retain a total of £362 million both to fund slippage in capital projects and to meet our agreed policy that departments retain a 75% share of the end-year balance. This generated a reserve of £73 million. We have allocated a further £38 million to portfolios which did not benefit from budget consequentials, mainly to rural affairs, communities, environment and education and lifelong learning. This leaves an unallocated reserve of £35 million.

  Table 2 sets out the total allocation of end-year flexibility by portfolio. My colleagues will make further announcements on the detailed allocation of these resources.

  Resources carried forward through end-year flexibility will be taken up in a budget revision this autumn, which will be subject to scrutiny by the Finance Committee.

  Table 1

  


1999-2000 End-Year Balance 
by Vote







£ million




Vote 1


Rural Affairs


13




Vote 2


Development Department


109




Vote 3


Education and Industry


89




Vote 4


Health


135




Vote 5


Justice


48




Vote 6 


Administration


14




Vote 7 


General Register Office


2




Vote 8 


National Archive of Scotland


0




Vote 9


Scottish Courts 


8




Vote 10


Forestry Commission


-6




Vote 11


Crown Office


4




Vote 12


Parliament


20







435




  Table 2

  


Allocation of EYF Monies 2000-01







End of Year
Balance Retained
£ million


Allocations
From Reserve
£ million




Children and Education


1


3




Communities


52


9




Enterprise and Lifelong Learning


64


10




Health and Community Care


101


0




Justice and Crown Office


51


0




Rural Affairs and Forestry


5


11




Transport and Environment


28


6




Central Services


13


0




Local Government and European Funds


27


0




Parliament


20


0




Total


362


38

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it has given to fish processors in recent months to help them meet the costs incurred in fulfilling their obligations under the Urban Waste Water Directive.

Mr John Home Robertson: Since 1994 the Scottish fish processing industry and related sectors have received a total of £19.7 million, and payments continue to be made. The Executive has not received any formal applications from fish processors for financial assistance in respect of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. At recent meetings between industry representatives and officials, the possibility of making a fully costed bid for resources was discussed. Assistance may then be available under the new Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) which we expect to open to applications later this year.

Fuel Duty

Dr Winnie Ewing (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any economic benefits to the Highlands and Islands accruing from BP’s recent announcement of its intention to abolish the Retail Zone Premium, and what representations it will make to Her Majesty’s Government to reduce road fuel tax in the light of this announcement.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive welcomes BP’s decision to abolish Retail Zone Premium, which is good news for the Highlands and Islands motorist. The Executive will continue to keep in contact with Treasury on road fuel tax as on other reserved issues which affect Scottish interests.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards are in place to ensure that the function of the Health Technology Board for Scotland is not to replicate decisions already communicated to it by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

Susan Deacon: The report of the Working Group on the Implementation of the Scottish Health Technology Centre, published on 17 November 1999, indicated that the Health Technology Board for Scotland and NICE would establish a close working relationship with reciprocal observer status at Management Board level and close links between core staff. Discussions between the two organisations have already taken place on the establishment of a system for exchanging information and avoiding duplication of work.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the precise remit of the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland is and what is being done to ensure that guidelines from the Health Technology Board for Scotland and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network are being implemented by health boards.

Susan Deacon: The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland is a statutory body, established as a special health board in April 1999. Its role, in line with the Scottish Executive’s commitment to quality, openness and public accountability, is to promote public confidence that the services provided by the NHS are safe and that they meet nationally agreed standards.

  The Health Technology Board for Scotland was established as a special health board in April 2000 to provide boards and other decision-makers with advice on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of new and existing health technologies. Boards will be expected to justify any decision not to follow the advice of the new board; both in the public eye (the advice of the board will be public) and within clinical governance.

  The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) has published over 40 guidelines since it was formed in 1993. We are aware that these evidence-based national recommendations published by SIGN are translated by local practitioners into protocols which reflect particular local circumstances.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how candidates are selected for the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland, the Health Technology Board for Scotland and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network and how it ensures that the individuals sitting on these boards retain an objective and independent view.

Susan Deacon: The appointment of members to the boards of special health boards such as the Clinical Standards Board and the Health Technology Board, is made by me on behalf of Scottish Ministers. These appointments are made on merit by fair and open process and are subject to independent assessment by the Health Appointments Advisory Committee. Consideration is given to the balance of the boards and to the skills which individuals can contribute.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to reviewing and modernising the system for making public appointments in Scotland and responses to a review on public appointments is currently being considered by Scottish Ministers.

  The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), which was formed in 1993, is an independent network of clinicians and healthcare professionals and as such is not subject to the public appointments system. Patients and public views are represented on SIGN through the Scottish Association of Health Councils.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement in the answer to question S1O-1597 by Susan Deacon on 4 May 2000 that the Health Technology Board for Scotland will be "open and transparent", why there has been no announcement of the recent appointment of a director and when the board will have a location and address, a website and contact details.

Susan Deacon: I announced the names of the members of the Health Technology Board for Scotland on 18 May. At that time, arrangements on the appointment of the Director had still to be finalised. These have now been completed and the Director will take up post on 3 July. I will announce full details of this appointment shortly.

  The board’s Chairman is currently working with the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate (PACE) to secure accommodation for the board in Glasgow. From 3 July, the board will occupy temporary accommodation in the Beacon, 176 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5SG. A website will be set up when the board’s permanent staff are appointed.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the set-up and annual running costs are of the Health Technology Board for Scotland, the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidance Network and the new Public Health Institute.

Susan Deacon: The Clinical Standards Board was established in April 1999 and incurred expenditure of approximately £850,000 in its first year. The board has an allocation of £3 million for 2000-01. Details will be published in the board’s annual accounts, which I understand will be available following the next meeting on Friday 28 July.

  The Clinical Resources and Audit Group have provided £650,000 towards the costs of the independent Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) in 2000-01.

  The Health Technology Board was established on 1 April with an allocation for 2000-01 of £1 million.

  Discussions on the establishment of a Public Health Institute are progressing. No decisions on its budget have been taken.

Higher Education

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the University of the Highlands and Islands to be designated as an institution eligible for funding by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.

Henry McLeish: An application for designation of a new institution, called UHI, was received in December 1998. A public consultation exercise identified a number of issues to be addressed before Ministers can reach a decision. It remains with UHI to address these issues, and once it has done so we will be able to make a decision on the designation application.

Homelessness

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will investigate death rates among homeless people and the quality of hospital care they receive.

Susan Deacon: If homeless people are admitted to hospital or seek help from an Accident and Emergency department, they should be given exactly the same quality of care and attention as anyone else.

  Death certificates do not record a person’s address and it is not therefore possible to identify with certainty whether someone is homeless at the time of their death.

Local Government

Mr Keith Harding (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what budget it has set aside to cover the costs of its Renewing Local Democracy Working Group and how much has been spent to date.

Mr Frank McAveety: As indicated in the reply to question S1W-7333, the budget for costs of the Renewing Local Democracy Working Group is £30,100. £2,482.86 has been spent to date and the remainder of the budget is allocated to meeting the costs of producing and distributing the working group’s report.

Meat

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made regarding the implementation of the Pooley Report and what specific cost-cutting measures it proposes to introduce in the Meat Hygiene Service.

Susan Deacon: Of the Meat Industry Red Tape Review’s 35 recommendations, three were rejected, three were for Agricultural Departments and 29 were for the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

  Of the 29 recommendations for the FSA, six require EU approval. As anticipated, four of these will be addressed in the context of the Commission’s proposals for new food hygiene law, the first element of which is due to be published later this month (numbers 1, 6, 10, 11). Steps have been taken to progress the other two issues (7, 33). 23 recommendations do not require EU approval – four have been completed (numbers 17,19,20,22), one requires action next year (number 5) and the remaining 18 are being acted on.

  One of the recommendations (number 18) was the establishment of an Efficiency Review of the Meat Hygiene Service. The terms of reference for the review have been approved by the Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency and have been published in the Official Journal of the European Community. Independent consultants will be appointed to carry out a two-stage review. It is expected that an initial report will be with the FSA by the end of the year.

  With regard to the three recommendations which were for Agricultural Departments, I can report that discussions with the European Commission to facilitate the export of tallow and tallow derivatives are underway. It is envisaged that the Commission inspectors will visit the UK in the autumn to assess our proposed controls.

Ministerial Correspondence

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Health and Community Care intends to reply to my letters of 19 January 2000 and 8 May 2000 regarding my constituent Graham Milne.

Susan Deacon: I replied to the letters on 16 June 2000.

Ministerial Correspondence

Mr Alex Salmond (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Minister for Transport and the Environment intends to reply to my letter of 9 May 2000 regarding my constituent Douglas Thomson.

Sarah Boyack: I replied to the member on 26 June 2000.

NHS Staff

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many locums are currently employed, broken down by specialty and by health board area.

Susan Deacon: Information on the total number of locums currently employed is not collected by the NHS in Scotland. Individual health boards will hold details on locums employed in hospitals within their area.

NHS Staff

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors within the NHSiS are currently suspended on full pay and what is the average length of suspension.

Susan Deacon: NHS Trusts are responsible for the operation of staff disciplinary procedures. The Scottish Executive has worked with Trusts and others to put in place a range of measures to improve and streamline the disciplinary process for medical staff. Trusts have been encouraged to consider alternatives to avoid unnecessary suspensions. Where suspension is considered necessary, the new measures will shorten the time that individuals spend on suspension and therefore reduce costs.

  We are currently aware of two NHS hospital doctors suspended on full pay. The doctors have been suspended since April and May 2000 respectively. One other doctor, an honorary consultant employed by a University, has been suspended for three years. This suspension pre-dates the recent work to improve the disciplinary process. The circumstances surrounding this case would not have occurred under the revised arrangements but these arrangements cannot be applied retrospectively. We expect those concerned to bring the matter to a satisfactory conclusion.

Roads

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review any decisions taken regarding safety improvements on the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty.

Sarah Boyack: A review of the safety measures that were implemented as part of the Balmedie to Tipperty Route Accident Reduction Plan in 1996 is currently underway. This review is being undertaken as part of a road safety investigation for the section of the A90 between north of the Ellon Roundabout and Fraserburgh.

Roads

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will bring forward plans to upgrade the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty to dual carriageway.

Sarah Boyack: The scheme to upgrade the 9km section of the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty to a dual two-lane carriageway was considered in the Strategic Roads Review. The review concluded that the scheme should be held in abeyance. It will, in due course, be considered alongside other emerging priorities for inclusion in any future trunk road programme.

Smoking

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs to the individual are of nicotine replacement therapy.

Susan Deacon: It is not possible to estimate the costs to the individual of nicotine replacement therapy because these will vary according to the preparation and dosage used, and the stage of treatment.

Social Inclusion

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in tackling social exclusion in the Hamilton North and Bellshill constituency.

Jackie Baillie: In November 1999, we published Social Justice – a Scotland where everyone matters , which set out our commitment to tackling exclusion and disadvantage wherever it occurs. At a local level, action to achieve the milestones is being taken by our network of Social Inclusion Partnerships.

  Earlier this year I confirmed our continuing financial commitment to the Blantyre/North Hamilton and Motherwell North Social Inclusion Partnerships by providing them with funding allocations totalling over £2.5 million from the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund for 2000-01. Further details of their progress and their plans for the coming year will be set out in the annual reports which both Social Inclusion Partnerships will produce by the end of June 2000.

Social Inclusion

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures are in place to monitor the work of Social Inclusion Partnerships.

Jackie Baillie: I refer Mr McMahon to the answer I gave to question S1W-7258 on 8 June 2000.

Social Inclusion

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7257 by Jackie Baillie on 8 June 2000, who currently serves on the Social Inclusion Partnership Advisory Group.

Jackie Baillie: The Social Inclusion Partnerships Advisory Group no longer exists. It was set up to advise on the designation of new Social Inclusion Partnerships and last met in March 1999.

Social Inclusion

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, whether it will list the members of the Scottish Social Inclusion Network.

Jackie Baillie: The current membership of the Scottish Social Inclusion Network is set out in the table below. It is chaired by Ms Wendy Alexander.

  


Joy Barlow


Consultant




David Belfall


Scottish Executive




Alan Brown


Employment Service




David Coulter


Scottish Enterprise




Mike Ewart


Scottish Executive




Mike Foulis


Scottish Executive




Rozanne Foyer


STUC




Ian Graham


Association of Scottish Colleges




Jon Harris


CoSLA




Tam Hendry


Edinburgh Streetwork Project




Damian Killeen


Poverty Alliance




Kaliani Lyle


Citizens Advice Scotland




Hugh MacIntosh


Barnardos (Scotland)




Duncan MacLennan


Scottish Executive




Frances McCall


Independent Community Adviser




Corrie McChord


CoSLA




Nell McFadden


Strathclyde Elderly Forum




Lynne Main


Wester Hailes Representative Council




Stephen Maxwell


SCVO




Nicky Munro


Scottish Executive




Linda Newlands


Broomhouse Health Strategy Group




Gail Newton


Scottish Homes




Liz Nicholson


Shelter




Angela O’Hagan


Equal Opportunities Commission




Douglas Osler


Scottish Executive




Selma Rahman


Fife Racial Equality Council




Ian Robertson


Highlands and Islands Enterprise




Archie Roy


Benefits Agency




Hammie Smillie


CBI (Scotland)




Chris Spry


Greater Glasgow Health Board




Gillian Stewart


Scottish Executive




Yvonne Strachan


Scottish Executive

Social Work

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to assess the effectiveness of how resources are spent by local authority social work departments.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Social Work Services Inspectorate is currently undertaking a review of social work services in all local authorities. An annual report will be published in October.

Social Work

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to encourage local authorities to recruit family support teams including more homebuilders.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Executive’s Sure Start Scotland initiative, with funding of £42 million over three years, provides support for families with very young children. Local authorities also have statutory obligations in relation to children in need. Guidance on the implementation of The Children (Scotland) Act 1995, issued in 1997, notes the role of family support services which may include home helps or family aides. It is for local authorities to determine what services or support families in their area need.

Social Work

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage is of qualified social workers who have been absent from work as a result of stress within each local authority for the most recent year for which figures are available.

Iain Gray: These figures are not collected centrally.

Warm Deal

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of households which have benefited from the Warm Deal, broken down by local authority or housing association, showing (i) the number of households which have been allocated Warm Deal money and (ii) the average grant allocated in each case.

Mr Frank McAveety: Information held centrally on the Warm Deal cannot be broken down to provide the details requested in respect of individual housing associations or local authorities. As at 31 March 2000, 6,802 housing association houses had been improved under the Warm Deal. The number of houses improved by local authorities, and the spend in the same period, are recorded in my answer to question S1W-7401. Eaga improved 5,408 local authority houses during the same period but details are not recorded by local authority area.

Warm Deal

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of houses which have been improved through the Warm Deal, broken down by housing association or local authority, by the installation of (i) loft insulation; (ii) cavity wall insulation; (iii) window or door draughtproofing; (iv) installation of high efficiency lamps; (v) tank and pipe installation, and (vi) other measures.

Mr Frank McAveety: Information held centrally on the Warm Deal cannot be broken down to provide the details requested in respect of individual housing associations. As at 31 March 2000, 6,802 housing association houses had benefited from some or all the measures described. The number of houses improved by local authorities as at 31 March 2000 is recorded in my answer to question S1W-7401. Eaga improved 5,408 local authority houses during the same period but details are not recorded by local authority area.

Warm Deal

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the firms which have taken on employees through finance from the Warm Deal and how many full-time equivalent posts have been created in each firm.

Mr Frank McAveety: All the Installers employed by Eaga have places for trainees taken on under the New Deal. About 200 places are available in total. A similar number of places is available under the part of the Warm Deal which is administered by local authorities. On 31 March 2000 a total of 376 New Deal trainees were employed. The number employed by any individual firm will vary regularly as trainees begin or leave the scheme or places remain unfilled.

Warm Deal

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number and type of qualifications gained by persons employed through finance from the Warm Deal.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Warm Deal provides places for trainees recruited through the New Deal, which is administered by the Employment Service. Information on the number and type of qualifications gained by these trainees is not routinely collected.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Smoking

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the availability of nicotine replacement therapy within the Parliament will be publicised.

Sir David Steel: The SPCB’s "Policy on Smoking in the Workplace" (Personnel Policy: No 1/1999) was issued by the Personnel Office on 19 November 1999. It was placed in the public folders and all members and staff were advised of this at the time. The policy is currently available in the Personnel pages of SPEIR.

  The policy includes the provision of smoking cessation group sessions and nicotine patches at a cost. The Personnel Office will shortly issue a reminder drawing the availability of this service to the attention of those covered by the policy.